The Most Alarming Shade of Red
by Mick Howell
Summary: Ned meets Podrick for the first time. A spin-off of "Fawn"


ASOIAF: Modern!AU

The Most Alarming Shade of Red

Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.

Summary: Ned meets Podrick for the first time. Spin-off of "Fawn".

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_Ding-Dong! _The doorbell of the Stark home rang. Not that anyone besides the patriarch, Ned Stark, noticed. Catelyn was out buying groceries, Robb and Theon were upstairs in his eldest child's room "playing videogames", Jon was out with his friends, Bran and Rickon were out back, Bran hanging out with the Reed kids in the tree house, Rickon playing in the mud with the dogs, Arya was out with _Gendry _(Ned hoped to the Gods that Stannis was chaperoning and not Robert), and Sansa was in the dining room, doing homework, her headphones on full-blast (Ned had tried to warn her that she might just go deaf, but she didn't appear to have heard him). So with a sigh, Ned put down his feet from the coffee table (he never dared to put them there when his wife was home—every man had his vice, and Ned's was that he didn't own an armchair or an ottoman), turned off the Winterfell Wolves hockey game, and headed towards the foyer. The doorbell was ringing for the second time when he opened it to find a boy standing on the porch.

He had dark hair and dark eyes, was perhaps Sansa's age if a little older, blushing slightly and turning redder by the minute, and looked at Ned with such alarm that he was sure the boy might either faint or turn and run. But the boy gulped and in a dry, timid, quiet voice breathed, "Is this the Stark residence?" Ned eyed the boy warily as he replied, "Yes." The boy shifted his weight foot to foot. "Is, is your daughter home? Sansa, not Arya, I mean. Not that anything's wrong with Arya, just—I'd like to see Sansa, please, sir." The boy stammered. Ned looked down at the boy with curiosity.

"What's your name again?" Ned asked after a long pause. The boy turned even redder and murmured, "I didn't say, sir. My name's Podrick. Podrick Payne, sir." Ned nodded and stepped inside for the boy to come in. It took a moment for the boy to catch on that he had wordlessly been invited inside, but he nodded and thanked him as he entered. Ned led him into the living room and sat back down on the couch. Podrick remained standing, looking very nervous and awkward. Ned sighed. "Take a seat, Podrick, please." Podrick nodded and hurriedly sat down on the far end of the couch away from Ned.

"Podrick," Ned began gravely. "What business do you have with my daughter?" Podrick fidgeted for a moment. "Well, sir, Sansa asked me to come over today. To, to study and what not." Ned considered the boy a moment. He didn't look like he was lying, but one could never be too careful when it comes to daughters and boys. "How do you know my daughter exactly?" Ned asked. "Crownland Conservatory, sir. We both go there—well, we used to go there, together. But now Sansa is back at North High, and I'm at Riverland Prep. We decided to get back together—to study, I mean—as friends, sir, honest!" The boy stammered, his cheeks absolutely on fire. Ned almost chuckled. Almost.

"Podrick," Ned began. "Are you…interested in my daughter?" He asked, cringing internally at his own words but keeping a stone-cold expression on outwardly. Podrick's face drained of all color. "No, sir. No, of course not—I mean, Sansa is pretty and all—prettiest girl I know, beautiful even—but, but…" His color returned as his cheeks tinged pink and he looked down at his lap. "She would never…never be interested in me." He said it with such morose, Ned almost reached over to pat him on the back reassuringly. But he was playing the part of the stern father not to be messed with—he could not let his mask slip for anything, even a sad boy with some clear confidence issues that kind of reminded him of his self when he was that age—Stop it, Ned, he shouted at himself mentally. This boy wants to study with your daughter (and perhaps weasel his way into her pants like all her other horrid ex-boyfriends had), you have to stay on you're A-game!

But Podrick looked so damn miserable; he had a palpable aura of gloom as he stared down at his lap and fiddled with his hands nervously. "Podrick," Ned said, mentally berating himself for what he was doing. "I'm sure Sansa…I'm sure Sansa wouldn't be…averse to someone like you. You seem like a nice enough lad." Podrick looked up at him and didn't look the least bit consoled. "Excuse me, sir, but…you've known me all of ten minutes. Ask anyone who goes to Crownland or Riverland, and everyone will either ask who I even am or say that of course Sansa Stark would never be interested in me as anything more than a friend." Podrick said, his eyes returning to his lap.

"No, no, I'm sure it's not _that _bad." Ned said, feeling a twist in his gut. This kid was really insecure… "What do you do, Podrick? Play any sports, in any clubs? Have many friends?" Ned questioned, fishing for something to salvage Podrick's self-confidence. Podrick shrugged. "At Crownland, I was the Vice Principal, Mr. Lannister—Tyrion Lannister's student-assistant. I ran him errands, like running to the copier or delivering messages to students and teachers. I even got to make the morning announcements sometimes. But…I don't really do anything at Riverland. After school I do this ride-along thing with these cops—I want to join the police force some day—but…usually we just end up driving around the city for an hour, grabbing some coffee and burgers, and then they drop me off at home. Then I just sit home and do homework and chores and read books and stuff."

Okay, it was official. Ned was staring at his seventeen year old past-self. Podrick was just like him—only worse! Ned at least had Robert and Brandon to drag him out of the sanctuary of his room on weekends and week-day afternoons (and nights); Podrick seemingly had no one to connect him to the outside world of normal adolescence. Ned feared for the boy. Briefly (Like, _really briefly_), he considered calling down Theon—but then he realized that could potentially be like opening Pandora's Box and decided against it.

But what was wrong with being a shy boy? Ned didn't think there was anything wrong with it. He himself had been a shy boy (and adult), and look at him now. Married to a beautiful woman, with five wonderful children (seven if you counted Jon and Theon), a city council member, and owner of the Stark family business. Podrick would be fine, Ned was sure...with a little help.

Ned stood up, and when Podrick looked up at him questioningly, he simply said for the boy to follow him. Ned led the Payne boy into the dining room, and upon their entrance, Sansa looked up and pulled out her headphones. She smiled broadly at Podrick, something Ned hadn't seen her do at anyone from Crownland Conservatory except for the Tyrell Siblings. "Pod, you made it!" She exclaimed, getting up and pulling the boy into a hug. Timidly, Podrick returned the hug, smiling sheepishly at Ned over Sansa's red-haired head.

The two parted and Sansa turned to her father, smiling. "We'll just be studying, Dad. _You can go back to your game now_." She added with an edge in her voice as she practically began shooing him out of the room. Ned smiled down at her and ruffled her hair. "I'm going, I'm going." He said laughingly, though over her head he sent Podrick a pointed look. As he was pushed out of the dining room, the last thing Ned saw was Podrick turning the most alarming shade of red.

**A/N: I have realized how much I love doing spin-offs of "Fawn". I may make this into a full on series—though I would perhaps have to come up with a name for it instead of saying "A spin-off of 'Fawn'" in every summary. **

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this one-shot! **


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